Talk Talk closure hits IDAafter funding deal approval

Chief reveals that agency had undertaken a full assessment of a planned training programme with the aim of upskilling the centre’s workforce

T
he Investment Development Agency (IDA) had been due to meet executives from
TalkTalk, the broadband operator, this week to agree a funding package for
its Waterford operations, The Sunday Times has learnt.

Barry O’Leary, the IDA chief executive, confirmed the agency had undertaken a
full assessment of a planned training programme, funding had been approved
and the talks were purely to agree implementation. He would not disclose the
scale of the funding package agreed. The agency said that it had been aimed
at “upskilling” the workforce.

The IDA was taken aback by the decision of TalkTalk last Wednesday to pull the
plug on the Waterford call centre, with the loss of 575 jobs.

The agency was in close contact with the company right up to a July meeting
which had been cancelled due to unavailability of certain participants,
O’Leary said.